Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has secured the release of Benjamin Egbaji, a Nigerian pastor and businessman, who was imprisoned in the Republic of Benin and reportedly subjected to dehumanising conditions for more than two years.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has secured the release of Benjamin Egbaji, a Nigerian pastor and businessman, who was imprisoned in the Republic of Benin and reportedly subjected to dehumanising conditions for more than two years.
Egbaji, a cleric from Cross River State, was freed on Thursday, January 8, 2026, following a presidential pardon granted by Patrice Talon, President of the Republic of Benin.
The amnesty, which was formally gazetted on December 17, 2025, came after months of sustained diplomatic engagement by the Nigerian government.
The development was disclosed in a statement in Abuja on Thursday by Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
